Mikiesboy

You can rant.. that does suck. Sorry to hear that, chris. Some people never get it. Just do your job. I hope it all works out.

Happy Friday, everyone. Dan dragged me out of the house early today. He wanted to get stuff done because it was going to be a hot one. Stay cool, drink lots and have a good one!

Intuition and the intelligence to listen to it saved you. Always listen to your gut. Thank God you did this time. I'm glad you're okay.

I hope you are having a great July 4th. I enjoyed this interview very much. I'm happy to say I've finished the writing portion of my anthology piece, so there's lots of time to let it sit, be edited, and read. Hopefully, this anthology will have more than 24 entries!

I'm only two years late! Loved Anne Rice's vampires and all the books. This series was excellent and I'm watching it again now on Prime.

Happy Thursday and to our 'Merican friends happy July 4th... Rather than post fireworks, i found some fun Fourth of July facts: 1. John Adams thought Independence Day should be celebrated on July 2 because that’s the day the Continental Congress officially declared its freedom from Great Britain. 2. The 4th of July doesn’t celebrate the signing of the Declaration, but the adoption of the Declaration by the Second Continental Congress. 3. On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a Committee of Five to draft a Declaration of Independence. The committee members were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman and, most famously, Thomas Jefferson. 4. The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men. 5. John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. He was president of Congress at the time. 6. Charles Thomson, secretary of Congress in 1776, was the second to sign. 7. Most of the signers of the Declaration signed the document on August 2, 1776. 8. The first Independence Day celebrations actually took place on July 8, 1776, in Philadelphia. It featured a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, announced by the ringing of the Liberty Bell. 9. The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration on July 6, 1776. 10. The 4th of July didn’t become a federal holiday until 1970. 11. Three presidents have died on the 4th of July: Founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted. They were the only signers of the Declaration who also became president. James Monroe died a few years later on July 4, 1831. 12. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, was born on July 4, 1872. 13. The song “Yankee Doodle” was originally sung by the British army to make fun of Americans. 14. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the United States’ national bird, but John Adams and Thomas Jefferson recommended the bald eagle, which won the title. 15. Americans eat approximately 150 million hot dogs on the 4th of July. That’s enough to stretch from D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times. 16. China makes the majority of American flags — approximately $3.3 million worth each year. 17. We eat burgers and hot dogs on the 4th of July these days, but John Adams and his wife celebrated with turtle soup. New Englanders enjoyed poached salmon with egg sauce, green peas and boiled potatoes for their 4th of July meal in 1776. 18. Red, white and … green? Back in the day, paper wasn’t readily available, especially in colors — so early Americans decorated with greenery. George Washington and soldiers wore greenery in their hats to show their patriotism.

Thank you, Michael. Let's hope things get better for them both. xo

Hope all goes okay and that you have a chance to enjoy July 4th!

I thought it interesting that Black knows precisely who and what his customers are, a much-desired trait in a good salesman. And you're right about the last sentence. Reality can be tough if you've never experienced it. We will see the effects on Andrew as we move forward. Michael lost his sense of humour and the joy he found in living, though he didn't see it until the night he was watching a show about a detective, the same as he was doing the same job. This officer had been fine; nothing seemed to affect him until one night, he went home, sat down, and found he could not physically move. He was having a breakdown. He also retired. Michael decided that wouldn't happen to him, so he got out. He is doing well and works for the police again as a civilian. Thanks, Alexmugs, for your insight and for following this story! I hope you enjoy the rest.

Writing is a lonely job. This story was started two years ago. It required much effort and research, as well as the effort of my editor, beta reader, and a couple of friends who listened to me as I wrote it. One friend continues to get offers from YouTube about super yachts because I'd done a lot of research on these on YT, much to his chagrin... LOL I'm not sure I'd go this far in the name of research, as Andrew and others have done to write or film a story. They have my admiration. Thanks for your insight. I don't believe the comment about the corner store!

Thanks Alexmugs! I understand your concern. Frankly, Andrew is a great guy but honestly, what he's doing is dumb. Let's hope all turns out all right for him.

Thank you very much Reader! 💖 Andrew is a good guy and I wanted him to reflect his parents and upbringing. Robert is a good man. Completely, the opposite of my own father. I guess he's the father I wished I'd had.

That's so true, Flip-Flop. Black knows his customers are depraved monsters and deviants, and that's exactly where the money is. He helps scratch that itch for these people. We'll see more of Robert and Andrew in the next chapters. For the moment, Andrew is where he needs to be. Several of you mentioned the card; we'll see if it does come into play. These people are experienced in handling the merchandise. Fear, hunger, and drugs are great ways of controlling people. So is a vast ocean. I'm glad you're 'enjoying' the story. I'm enjoying all of the comments. Thank you!

Thanks Cane23. You're so right. Witnesses to horrific events can end up with PTSD. I don't know if Andrew is prepared to pay. I don't think he knows just how much he's bitten off. We shall see.

Thank you for your insightful comments. Yes, Black is a salesman, however monstrous. And Andrew is right when he says: And most of us will never know the undercurrent of evil we are only inches away from. The world is not sunshine and roses, it's true. But we can try to keep our little part of it good and as safe as possible.

Thanks, Wayne. He is scary, and you're right; he feels nothing for them. To Black, it's like selling a piece of art or a vase; they are just commodities. Thanks for commenting.

You're right. My Husband Michael did that job you mentioned for a long time. He ended up having to retire from the police because of the reasons you've mentioned. It changed him. He's doing better now, back to his old self for the most part. But I know some of that will never leave him. Thank you for your comments, Gary L., and for sticking with this story.

Hi, Terry P. Thanks for your comments. You're right; for normal, decent people, there is no justification. But for Black and those like him, there seems to be, both in this story and the real world. However, I agree with you. Thank you for continuing to read this.

Thank you for your great comments! I think the people who do this kind of thing must be cultured enough to deal with the kind of wealthy clients they'd have. You're right about the reason for the invitation...Ego and the fact Black believes they are pretty good guys. I like your ideas about Dante and the card. Let's see what happens.

That's the polite term for Mr. Black, chris! While it's never written out anywhere, Black says he doesn't know the reason. Ego is what Robert said, and I think he's likely correct.

@Parker Owens does have a lot of class; you're right. There is no perfect answer to your question of why Black allowed the interview or invited Andrew on board. Robert said earlier it's likely ego. Black said in this chapter he wasn't sure why. My feeling is ego, and Black feels he is doing a good thing on some level. Believe me, the real 'Mr. Black' completely thought what he believed and did was okay. At the same time, it would horrify most decent people. A note about editors... they edit, they do not write the story. They suggest things; authors choose to accept or decline those suggestions. If I disagreed with everything, most editors wouldn't hang about; they'd move on. I don't recall if K ever said anything about how Dante spoke to Andrew. In any case, I find calling people by their surnames to be extremely rude. Perhaps Dante, knowing Mr. Black to be anything but rude, chose to call their guest by his first name and sometimes Mr. MacCabe.

Don't ask me to write about Mr. Black's childhood and home life! Thanks for your comments and support!

Thank you, Parker. The 'real' person, Mr. Black, is modelled on, was worse; he makes my version look like Mr. Rogers. You're correct about Matt, and while Andrew is safe, is he as unaffected as he sounds? Time will tell. Thanks for your insight!

Happy Wednesday. I hope you all have a super day. For those interested, it is Frank Kafka's birthday.